English Chess Forum

Hi.
Is it right or wrong to place the board with the ranks labeled 7 & 8 closer to White pieces?

soheil_hooshdaran wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:11 pm

Is it right or wrong to place the board with the ranks labeled 7 & 8 closer to White pieces?

It isn't wrong as such, just annoying to some players and confusing to those whose perception of the board and important squares isn't good enough to know where e4 is without counting.

Yes - it always annoys me when a board is set up "wrongly" in this fashion, even if it isn't illegal.

Getting it right isn't difficult!

What about an arbiter's point of view?

soheil_hooshdaran wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:10 am

What about an arbiter's point of view?

An arbiter should always seek to set up the board correctly. You have a duty to provide a good environment for players and some find the incorrect setting irritating.

Occasionally you may notice only just before the start of play that one of the boards is the wrong way round. If the players are content, it is then sensible to leave things as they are.

Thanks

Does anyone think it is incorrect to have letters and numbers on a chess board that could aid the memory?

I think that is an acceptable "aid", as knowing it doesn't automatically help you make better moves?